WHAT TO SEE & DO?
No matter what time of the year you visit and no matter how long you stay, Arizona will turn your vacation into an experience. Rent a motorcycle or participate in our tours and you will come away with something you'll talk about for a long time.
The sixth largest state and the oldest
continuously inhabited land in the United States provides a
sparkling mix of nature and culture. During the 5000-foot ascent
from the Colorado River to the rim of the Grand Canyon you can
witness 1.7 billion years of the Earth's formation. Rolling
through 2000 scenic miles you will gain a glimpse into the
thousand years of human history. Despite its storied past, Arizona
is far more than a scenic outdoor museum. First-class amenities,
from hotels and restaurants to golf courses and concert
halls, complement your encounter with the beauty of the
Southwest. We’d like to share some of the
highlights of your relaxing, educational and fun riding
adventure:
Scenic
Routes
Natural
Wonders
Native American
Heritage
Spanish
Influence
Frontier
Living
Historic
Railroads
20th
Century
Science
Architecture
Culture
Shopping
Entertainment
Events
Scenic
Routes
It's simply
not possible to list them all. There are more than two thousand
miles of scenic roads in Arizona. A vast network of smoothly
paved, graded dirt, gravel and more challenging unpaved roads
crisscross the land, connecting the hundreds of spots to visit. The
varieties of roads twist and turn from desert plans below sea level
to forest-covered mountains, peaking above 10,000 feet. You can ride
Arizona for weeks and weeks without getting bored. Don’t waste your
time trying to figure out when and where to go. Join us at
AZride.com and we will make sure that you make the right turns at
the right time and stop at the right spots to see, eat,
shop, stay, learn and have fun. This is what motorcycle touring
is all about, this is The Arizona Motorcycle Experience
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Natural Wonders
- North
- Lake Mead/Hoover Dam
- Vermilion Cliffs
- Lake Powell/Glen Canyon Dam
- Slot Canyons
- Kaibab Plateau/Grand Canyon
- Grand Canyon/South Rim
- Grand Canyon Caverns
- Dinosaurs Tracks
- Elephant Feet
- Monument Valley
- Four Corners
- Canyon de Chelly
- Window Rock
- Painted Desert
- Petrified Forest
- White Mountains
- Mount Graham
- Salt River Canyon
- Central
- San Francisco Peaks
- Sunset Crater
- Meteor Crater
- Mogollon Rim
- Oak Creek Canyon
- Red Rock Country, Sedona
- Roosevelt Dam
- Tonto Natural Bridge
- The World’s Tallest Fountain
- Sonoran Desert
- Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
- Colossal Cave
- Kartchner Caverns
- Chiricahua Mountains
- World's Largest Rosebush
- West Coast
- Black Canyon/Willow Beach
- Lake Mohave
- Lake Havasu
- Parker Dam
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Native
American Heritage
Arizona is home
to twenty-one federally recognized tribes. Together, the tribes
contribute to the rich cultural diversity of Arizona. The state is
home to over 250,000 Native Americans (Census 2000). Reservations
and tribal communities comprise over a quarter of Arizona's lands.
The reservations are considered separate nations. State law takes
precedence on the main roads through the reservations, but tribal
law applies once you go off of them. More information can be
found at University of Arizona
Some places to visit:
Wuptaki National Monument
Navajo National
Monument
Tuzigoot National Monument
Walnut Canyon National
Monument
White House Ruin
Second Mesa
Montezuma Castle
National Monument
Tonto National Monument
Casa Grande
National Monument
Besh-Ba-Gowah Archeological Park
Amerind
Foundation Museum www.amerind.org
Cochise
Stronghold
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Spanish Influence
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Frontier Living
- Ghost Towns
There are more than 300
ghost towns in Arizona. Some are accessible, some are not. Some
are lively, some are pretty dead. Some are recognizable, some
are indicated by stone markers. Do you want to know
more about them? Visit: www.ghosttowns.com
Do you want to see them during your next trip? Join an
AZride.com tour!
- Pipe Spring National Monument
- Hubbell Trading Post
- Vulture Mine
- Prescott
- Jerome
- Fort Verde
- Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic
Park
- Bisbee
- Tombstone
- Fort Bowie National Historic
Site
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Historic Rail Roads
- Grand Canyon Rail Road
- Verde River Canyon
- Yuma Valley Railroad
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-
Twentieth Century
- Route 66
- Jack Rabbit Trading Post
- Geronimo Trading Post
- Wigwam Motel
- "Navajo Code Talkers" Exhibit
- London Bridge
- Quartzsite
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Science
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-
Architecture
- Arcosanti Urban Laboratory
- Frank Lloyd Wright Heritage
- Taliesin West
- Arizona Biltmore Hotel
- Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium
- Sunnyslope Rock Garden
- Giant Rattlesnake Bridge
- Bedrock City
- Center of the World
(Felicity)
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Culture
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-
Shopping
- Antique, Art, Native
American
- Cameron Trading Post
- Teec Nos Pos
- Second Mesa
- Scottsdale
- Glandale
- Carefree
- Sedona
- Oatman
- Jerome
- Tucson Old Town Artisans
- Patagonia
- Tubac
- Nogales
- Bisbee
- Shopping Centers
- Biltmore Fashion Park - Phoenix www.shopbiltmore.com
A
Nirvana for the passionate shopper is located within a romantic
open-air park setting of brick walkways, luscious landscaping
and hacienda fountains. Featuring more than seventy fine
shops, many of them unique to Phoenix.
- Historic Downtown Glendale www.visitglendale.com
With
more than eighty specialty shops and restaurants the Old
Town district is a collector's paradise.
- Downtown Tempe www.downtowntempe.com
An
afternoon shopping in downtown Tempe isn’t just a shopping
experience, it’s a cultural adventure.
- La Encatada, Tucson http://laencantadashoppingcenter.westcor.com
Enchanted
shopping and dining experience. Courtyards featuring hacienda
architecture are lined with unique and upscale shops.
- Foothills Mall, Tucson www.shopfoothillsmall.com
Tucson
's best value shopping and entertainment destination. No city
sales tax.
- London Bridge Factory Outlet - Lake
Havasu
- Page Factory Stores
- Oak Creek Factory Stores, Sedona
- Factory Stores of America, Casa
Grande
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Entertainment
- "Standin' on the Corner"
- Rahwide
- The Bouvier-Teeter House Victorian Tea
Room
- The Mighty Wurlitzer at the Organ Stop
Pizza
- The Arizona Renaissance Festival in February
and March
- Old Tucson Studios
- O.K. Corall
- Casinos
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-
Events
- January
- Barrett-Jackson Classic Car
Auction, www.barrett-jackson.com
Five days
of Fun, Sun, Cars and Excitement! Never Will So Many Glamorous
Cars Be Seen By So Many Glamorous People
- Arizona Fine Art Expo, Scottsdale www.thunderbirdartists.com/expo
Art
showcase, exhibition and fair in one place.
- The World’s Largest Outdoor Flea market,
Quartzsite
2,000 vendors of rocks, gems, minerals, fossils
and everything else imaginable create one of the world's largest
open air flea markets. Featuring eight major gem and mineral
shows and vendors of raw and handcrafted merchandise peddle
their wares.
- February
- Fountain Hills Great Fair and Hot Air
Balloon Rally www.fountainhillschamber.com
This
festival attracts close to 160,000 visitors.
- Arizona Renaissance Festival / www.royalfaires.com
Features
a thirty-acre village with the king and his court,
castles and cottages, kitchens, pubs, and artisans hawking
their wares.
- Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show www.scottsdaleshow.com
The
week long show is the largest of its kind in the world,
drawing over 2,000 of the world's finest Arabian horses each
year.
- Tucson Rodeo www.tucsonrodeo.com
La
Fiesta de los Vaqueros (Celebration of the Cowboys) is a
nine-day event centered on the Tucson Rodeo, one of the
top twenty professional rodeos in North
America.
- The World’s Largest Outdoor Flea market,
Quartzsite
2,000 vendors of rocks, gems, minerals, fossils,
and everything else imaginable create one of the world's largest
open-air flea markets. Featuring eight major gem and mineral
shows and vendors of raw and handcrafted
merchandise.
- March
- Arizona Renaissance Festival / www.royalfaires.com
Features
a thirty-acre village with the king and his court, castles and
cottages, kitchens, pubs, and artisans hawking their
wares.
- Arizona Fine Art Expo, Scottsdale www.thunderbirdartists.com/expo
Art
showcase, exhibition and fair in one place.
- April
- Sonoran Festival of Fine Art, Carefree www.sonoranartsleague.org
More
than one hundred national and locally acclaimed
artists display their creations.
- Arizona Bike Week - azbikeweek.com
A
great Harley gathering, this is the largest charity motorcycle
event.
- Glendale Jazz and Blues Festival
A
free festival featuring Arizona's best jazz and blues
performers. Arts and crafts and great ethnic
food too.
- NASCAR 150, 200, 500 Series, Phoenix -
www.phoenixraceway.com
- Culinary Festival, Scottsdale - www.scottsdaleculinaryfestival.org
Demonstrations,
Great AZ picnic, Le Tour Culinaire, Southwest Festival of Beers,
Wine Country Brunch, Best of the Fest, tasting and
epicurean events.
- Copper State 1000 Road Rally - www.mensartscouncil.com
One
of the premiere vintage car road rallies in North America and
the leading rally in the Southwest.
- May
- Route 66 Fun Run - www.azrt66.com/funrun.htm
The
three-day event is open to all street legal vehicles - buses,
bikes, RVs, roadsters, station wagons or Shelbys -
Anything with wheels that runs!
- All Town Yard Sale, Chloride - www.chloridearizona.com
Citizens
of Chloride and the surrounding community hold an all-town yard
sale. Vintage tractors on display, gunfights at high
noon.
- Wyatt Earp Days, Tombstone - www.wyattearpdays.com
An event in
honor of one of the West's most famous lawmen, Wyatt Earp.
Activities include gunfights, chili cook-off, hangings, and an
1880's fashion show.
- Annual Old Route 66 Community Yard
Sale, Holbrook
Start at the Historic Navajo Courthouse
and Museum with a map of the city and "community bucks" coupons
that will guide you to "treasures”.
- June
- The Festival in
Strawberry http://www.strawberryfestivalaz.com
Enjoy the Art and Jam Music Festival. Taste berry treats
from traditional strawberry pie to exciting strawberry
salsa.
- August
- World’s Oldest
Continuous Rodeo, Payson
The world famous event that
celebrates its 123st consecutive year in
2007.
- September
- ˇFiesta Glendale!
Celebrate Hispanic
heritage in the historic downtown. Murphy Park will be
abuzz with music, dance, traditional food and all-around good
times.
- Annual Labor Day Rodeo, Sonoita - www.sonoitafairgrounds.com
- October
- Tempe October Fest - www.tempeoktoberfest.com
Bavarian
beer garden, non-stop polka, bratwurst and strudel
- All-Town Yard Sale, Chloride - www.chloridearizona.com
Citizens
of Chloride and the surrounding community hold an all-town yard
sale. Vintage tractors on display, gunfights at high
noon.
- November
- Fountain Festival of Arts and Crafts -
www.fountainhillschamber.com
The
three-day event features nearly 500 artists and artisans from
around the country.
- Annual Tombstone Western Music Festival www.tombstonewesternmusicfestival.com
Hear how
the West was sung! Two star-packed evening shows and three
outdoor stages.
- NASCAR 150, 200, 500 Series – www.phoenixraceway.com
- Festival of Lights,
Lake Havasu
The London Bridge Resort and the English Village
will light up the village with over one million twinkling lights
for their Festival of Lights from November 26 through January
18.
- December
- Fiesta Bowl Scottsdale Senior Open
(id. 759305205)
- Tumacacori Fiesta
Tohono O'odham,
Pima, Yaqui and Apache as well as Mexican and
Anglo-American traditional dancers, musical groups and crafts
demonstrators can be found at this two-day event.
- Annual Boat Parade of Lights, Lake
Havasu
The crown of the ongoing Festival of Lights. One of
the largest, most spectacular light displays in the Southwest
United States.
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